Mr. Rowlett,

It is not my intent to engage in an ad hominem exchange, but I would
suggest to you that Jon Sumida’s book is very broad and implicitly takes
the conventional wisdom head on and proves, not that it is wrong or
stupid, but that it could not possibly be right. This is borne out by
the depth and breadth of the documentation cited in the footnotes.
Further, the associated scholarship of Nicholas Lambert on Fisher’s and,
by association, Churchill’s plans to build submarines and flotilla craft
for the defense of England against invasion not only bolsters this
conclusion, but carries it even further. In short, the “conventional
wisdom” on the subject of the Anglo-German Naval Race and the outbreak
of World War I has been shown to be not only inaccurate from a
historical perspective, but from a contemporary one as well. If that
were not the case, then Jon Sumida’s and Nichaolas Lambert’s scholarship
would not be the exceptions to the “conventional wisdom” that they are.

May I respectfully suggest that you read, or reread, In Defence of
Naval Supremacy, The Pollen Papers, and Jon Sumida’s articles in various
journals along with Nicholas Lambert’s book and recent articles. Then if
you still disagree with me, then we will have to just agree to disagree.

Sincerely,

Chris Havern
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